Overview

As America's leaders fight pre-emptive wars abroad and ordinary Americans fight to keep their heads above water here at home, Arianna Huffington offers a no-holds-barred account of where we stand and a clear and remarkable vision of where we should be headed. Taking aim at the ruthless fanatics in the Bush White House and the feckless fools in the all-too-compliant Democratic opposition, the best-selling author of Pigs at the Trough paints a scathing picture of our contemporary political landscape -- peopled with...

More About
This Book

Overview

As America's leaders fight pre-emptive wars abroad and ordinary Americans fight to keep their heads above water here at home, Arianna Huffington offers a no-holds-barred account of where we stand and a clear and remarkable vision of where we should be headed. Taking aim at the ruthless fanatics in the Bush White House and the feckless fools in the all-too-compliant Democratic opposition, the best-selling author of Pigs at the Trough paints a scathing picture of our contemporary political landscape -- peopled with scoundrels and cowards, and awash in the constant and corrosive flow of dirty money.

But the book doesn't stop there. Over the course of her run for governor of California, Arianna Huffington learned that criticism and outrage are not enough. She lays out her game plan for winning back America from our not-so-compassionately-conservative president, now firmly and happily in the grip of right-wing radicals like Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and John Ashcroft. With the 2004 election fast approaching, Arianna Huffington sees fire in the ashes of the Democratic Party and reason for hope that this can be the year that the people finally take back control of their government and their country.

Fearless, funny, in full command of the facts, and ever passionate, Arianna Huffington offers not just a chapter-and-verse diagnosis of the fanaticism that drives the Bush White House but a bold vision of New Responsibility for rebuilding our broken democracy. If you want to know what you can do to restore America to the promise and moral greatness envisioned by our greatest leaders, from Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt to FDR and Bobby Kennedy, this book is required reading. These are big dreams, but, as Arianna argues, anything smaller guarantees the reelection of George Bush.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Huffington's latest (after the bestselling Pigs at the Trough) gets off to a rocky start with a scattershot attack on the GOP that reads more like a disjointed assemblage of her syndicated columns than a sustained argument. Though she is capable of biting humor, this material all too often emphasizes weak attempts at humor over facts (most of which have already been covered in myriad other anti-Bush books). She takes several cheap shots, at Rush Limbaugh's drug addiction, for instance, and makes a tasteless crack about inducing premature births so the infants can count as campaign donors. As she shifts into discussing her short-lived candidacy in California's gubernatorial recall, however, Huffington gradually acquires gravitas and cohesiveness to such a degree that the second half of the book feels like a different work. Her detailed analysis of a Democratic leadership "in complete denial" is strong, and this is surely one of the few potentially bestselling political critiques this season to grapple with political philosophers like John Rawls and Leo Strauss. With an impassioned call for all Americans to give more than lip service to charitable impulses, and invoking the spirit of Robert Kennedy, Huffington assembles a multi-issue platform on which she hopes liberals and progressives can unite to unseat Bush in November. Capping a decade-long transformation from classic conservative to social progressive, Huffington effectively mounts an assault on both ruling parties and firmly rebukes any who would still challenge the seriousness of her political ambitions. Agent, Carlton Sedgeley. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of many books including Fanatics and Fools and How to Overthrow the Government. She holds a master's degree in economics from Cambridge University. Her column appears in newspapers across the country, including The Los Angeles Times and New York Daily News. She has made guest appearances on numerous television shows including The O'Reilly Factor, Larry King Live, Oprah, and The Today Show. She lives in Los Angeles.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of many books including Fanatics and Fools and How to Overthrow the Government. She holds a master's degree in economics from Cambridge University. Her column appears in newspapers across the country, including The Los Angeles Times and New York Daily News. She has made guest appearances on numerous television shows including The O'Reilly Factor, Larry King Live, Oprah, and The Today Show. She lives in Los Angeles.

Your Rating:

Your Recommendations:

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked,
or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to
Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original
and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you
and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not
violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help
ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer.
However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or
to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the
information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its
sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the
review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.

- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly
those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com
also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by:
Showing
all of
2
Customer Reviews

Anonymous

Posted April 11, 2004

The Bush Administration is taken to task

Arianna Huffington has written an excellent book on the rapidly decaying political structure that has been engineered by George W. Bush. What is stunning about the book is that it is both thoughtful and critical but does not get into pointless personal attacks. Arianna Huffington states that G.W. Bush has so quickened the decline of our society by ignoring the poor and blatantly favoring the rich that the unraveling of our wonderful experiment in democracy is starting to occur. Arnold Schwarznegger is also taken to task for his being a copy of Bush in his disregard for the poor and oppressed. Arianna feels that with politicians like Bush and Arnold getting by with little press criticism our society is in peril and that we need to call upon the Democratic party to become a real party again that actually stands for something lest these men so permanently change our political culture that the damage will be beyond repair. This is a good book that is highly thought out and poses deep and pointed questions about the political process in our country today.

Was this review helpful? YesNoThank you for your feedback.Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Anonymous

Posted April 19, 2004

EXCELLENT

A very startling, informative book about our so-called leaders ('they have not led, we will'). Where they are taking us is anyone's guess but don't think it's very pretty! Arianna writes about some very serious issues but with humor throughout! You will find this enlightening as well as entertaining! All of her books are highly recommended by me.

Was this review helpful? YesNoThank you for your feedback.Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.